Piper PA-28-161 accident near San Angelo, Texas, June 3, 2021
On June 3, 2021 at about 1:50 am local time, a 1978 Piper PA-28-161, registered N2120J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near San Angelo, Texas (San Angelo Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance of the left main landing gear strut, which resulted in a landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2021 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- San Angelo, Texas · San Angelo Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161, built 1978 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2120J · no longer on the register · serial 28-7916198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that, during the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered left, which damaged the left wing. Examination of the left main landing gear strut revealed that several mounting holes were elongated, consistent with wear over an extended period, and several bolts were missing. The landing gear strut’s missing bolts and loose hardware likely resulted in the failure of the remaining fasteners to support the airplane’s weight and resulted in the landing gear collapse. Although the airplane’s maintenance records were not made available for review and the maintenance history of the landing gear could not be determined, the elongated mounting holes and missing bolts were consistent with maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that proper torque was applied to the landing gear strut hardware.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Inadequate inspection
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 437 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 46 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 22, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 6 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,168 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2021; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-D3G (piston); 2,585 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJT San Angelo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 8,054 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KSJT
Weather report (METAR): KSJT 030151Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 20/17 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP125 T02000167
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 29, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence with FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos of Airplane | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Examination Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum Concerning Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2120J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.